Thin frame stencil assembly

ABSTRACT

A stencil assembly integrally mounted on a business form wherein the assembly has a relatively flexible frame secured to the form with a pressure-asensitive adhesive.

[ Dec. 16, 1975 1 THIN FRAME STENCIL ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Donald J. Steidinger, Barrington, 111.

[73] Assignee: Wallace Business Forms, Inc., Hillside, Ill.

[22] Filed: Mar. 21, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 453,641

[52] US. Cl. 101/1281; 156/542 [51] Int. Cl. B41N 1/24 [58] Field of Search 101/127, 128.1, 128.2, 101/1284, 125; 282/28 R, 22

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,004 11/1940 Morris 101/128.1 X

2,674,940 4/1954 Carney 1 1 .1 101/1282 2,757,608 8/1956 Schoechm. 101/1282 2,976,802 3/1961 Mason 101/1281 3,020,836 2/1962 Palmer et a1 101/1282 X 3,052,284 9/1962 Weber et a1. 101/128.2 X 3,094,342 6/1963 Weber 101/1281 X 3,457,856 7/1969 Rydberg et a1. 101/1281 X 3,595,166 7/1971 Sherman 101/1282 3,788,217 1/1974 Rabelowm. 101/1281 3,789,756 2/1974 Weber 10l/l28.l X

Primary Examiner-Edgar S Burr Assistant Examiner-R. E. Suter Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Dawson, Tilton, Fallon & Lungmus [5 7] ABSTRACT A stencil assembly integrally mounted on a business form wherein the assembly has a relatively flexible frame secured to the form with a pressure-asensitive adhesive.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 3,926,113

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THIN FRAME STENCIL ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION Present stencils used on business forms are of two types. In the first, a piece of stencil material is fastened to the form by apiece of tape along the top edge. This tape is usually equipped with a pressure sensitive adhe sive but it sometimes held with conventional adhesives. The problems with this type is that the stencil material is very flimsy. It becomes bolded over in feeding, refolding and handling with the result that information fails to be imprinted on the folded portion or the fold crease will print a line when the stencil is used. Also the edges can raise up and cause the stencil to be damaged by computer print heads that move from side to side across the business form.

The second type provides a frame of heavier paper around the edges of the stencil material. The purpose of this frame is to add stiffness to the stencil to prevent its folding over. The frame material must be of sufficient thickness to achieve the required stiffness. Problems with this type are that while a thick frame stops folding over in feeding, refolding and handling, it causes problems in bending around typewriter and computer platens, its thickness causes it to become damaged by print heads that move across the width of the business form and the thickness causes packs of fan folded business forms to stack up unevenly.

Furthermore, framed stencils are attached to business forms either by a permanent adhesive on a detachable stub which remains to deface the form when the stencil is removed or by gluing directly to the underside of the stencil material (see, for example, US Pat. No. 2,976,802 in Class lll28.l). Typically, the stencil has either a carbon coating or a carbon tissue on the adhesive holds portions of the carbon material when the stencil and frame are removed from the form, again defacing the form. Defacing of the form is particularly objectionable when the form is an invoice which is to be sent out to the using companys customer.

It is the object of this invention to overcome these problems by using a thin material for the frame that can easily bend around print out equipment platens, and does not cause an uneven build up inthe fan folded pack. Another object is to hold the stencil to the form by a pressure sensitive adhesive so the stencil assembly can be easily removed from the form without defacing the form in any way.

Another object of this invention is to provide the frame with areas extending beyond the stencil area to be used to hold various edges to the form as required by the particular print out equipment. Thus, only an area along the top edge may be required by a typewriter, or an area along the top and bottom edges to prevent folding over in feeding, refolding and handling in a computer or areas along the top and both sides for use in small computer print out equipment where the print head moves from side to side across the width of the form. It is advantageous to provide one edge that is not fastened so that the stencil can beeasily gripped in order to remove it from the form.

Another object is to provide a means of providing adhesive to the very edge of the frame so that edges are not free to catch on paper guides, print heads, etc.

Another object is to use the same adhesive to hold the stencil to the frame and the frame to the business form.

Still another object is to use the area of frame extending beyond the stencil to regulate the strength of the fastening to meet both the need for easy removal of the stencil from the form and sufficient strength to meet the needs of handling and printing of the form and stencil assembly. Increasing the extended area on a given side increases the strength of the fastening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be appreciated from a consideration of the ensuing specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top elevational view of a business form equipped with a stencil assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view seen along the sight line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but of a modified version of the stencil assembly according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a hand stamp stencil carrying the stencil assembly after it has been removed from the form seen in FIG. 1.

With reference to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 designates generally a business form which may contain a number of plies (not shown). In the illustration given, the form 10 is equipped with a plurality of control openings 11 along the margins 12 and 13 which facilitate processing of the business form through a computer printer or the like. Normally such business forms include a plurality of plies and, in such a case, the stencil assembly, generally designated 14, is applied to the uppermost ply. It will be appreciated, however, that a variety of business forms can be equipped with the stencil assembly in accordance with the-teachings of the invention.

The assembly 14 is seen to include a frame 15 (see also FIG. 2) which, in the illustration given, is equipped with a cut-out portion as at 16. This affords access to the stencil 17 which is adhesively secured to the frame 15. Thus, the assembly 14 has a frame layer 15 and a stencil layer 17. For this purpose, the confronting or back face of the frame layer 15, as at 15a (see FIG. 2), is covered totally with a pressure sensitive adhesive coating 18. This coating adheres the frame to the stencil to the very edge of the cut-out portion and the edges of the stencil so that there are no unfastened edges to work up and become caught in the printer mechanism. The stencil layer 17 includes the usual porous paper substrate 19 and the waxy-type coating 20. Thus, with an impression achieved through a typewriter or computer printer, the coating 20 is ruptured or impressed as at 21 (see FIG. 4) permitting ink to flow through the relatively porous paper substrate 19. Additionally, in the preferred form of the invention, I apply a carbon coating 22 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) to the side of the porous paper 19 opposite that equipped with the waxy coating 20. This then permits impression of the information applied to the stencil directly to the underlying ply of the business form 10. Where a plurality of plies are included in the business form 10, suitable carbon layers or the like may be employed to make sure that each ply is impressed with the information applied to the stencil, viz., customer address information, primarily.

It will be noted that the stencil layer 17 is generally coextensive with the frarn layer 15, but affords an area or areas as at 23, 24, and 25 (where the frame overlaps the stencil) for securing the stencil frame, and thus the stencil, to the business form 10. Thus, the stencil layer 17 spaces the major portion of the frame layer from the form 10. According to the invention, I provide a portion of the stencil interrupted or foreshortened so as to permit the frame to come into direct contact with the business form on the side of the frame equipped with the pressure sensitive adhesive 18. The embodiment illustrated has overlapping frame areas on three sides, viz., the areas 23-25, and this not only develops a most advantageous securement of the stencil assembly during impression (as by typing), but also provides a convenient access area for finger insertion to quickly strip or remove the entire unitary stencil assembly com pletely from the business form. The selection of sides on which the frame overlaps the stencil can be used to meet the needs of specific print-out mechanisms and form uses. An overlapping area can be provided at only the top, or the top and bottom, or the top and one or two sides, or in any desired combination.

The area of the overlapping frame portions can be proportioned to regulate the strength of the fastened area, a larger area of the overlapping portion giving a stronger fastening.

The pressure sensitive coating adheres the frame to the form to the very edges of the frame so that there are no unfastened edges to become caught in the printer mechanism. lt is impractical to attempt to apply conventional adhesives to the very edge because invariably some adhesive will get beyond the edge and cause the forms to stick together in the tightly packed cartons in which they are shipped.

In addition to making use of a pressure-sensitive ad-g hesive on the confronting surface of the frame which adhesive not only secures the frame to the form, but the stencil to the frame I employ a frame which is relatively flexible. By relatively flexible l contemplate a material and thickness thereof of the character of the underlying business form ply. Thus a stencil assembly passes as easily and unobtrusively around the platen of a typewriter, for example, as does the business form itself. Through the use of the relatively thin frame (and here it should be appreciated that the stencil 17 is usually even more flexible), the assembly is quite versatile, i.e., being able to be fastened down on any combination of sides needed to achieve control of the stencil against folding over, lifting during typing, and curling. The thin flexible frame is further advantageous in avoiding thickness build-up in the computer, and further provides advantageous adhering in any hand duplicator.

Referring now to FIG. 4, for example, the numeral 25 designates generally a hand-stencilling device where a frame 26 is equipped with a handle 27. The frame 26 provides an ink reservoir 28 (depicted somewhat schematically) and the conventional inking pad 29. The pad 29 inherently adheres to the stencil 17 because of the sticky character of the ink, and, with the provision of 1 the relatively thin frame layer 15 of the assembly, the pad can provide ink right up to the margin of the cutout 16 and has a much greater area of contact with the stencil 17 than would be the case with a relatively thick or stiff frame. Further, through the practice of the invention, the stencil is held securely by using adhesive on the edges (viz., the areas 23-25) where it is needed and still have a stencil that is easily removed without danger or damage to the underlying business form. Further, through the combination of the pressure-sensitive adhesive and the relatively flexible frame, it is possible to remove all of the stencil assembly so that the remaining invoice form is completely unmarked and create a favorable impression on the recipient.

In FIG. 3, the frame is designated by the numeral having a cut-out 116. Again, the frame on its under side 115a is equipped with a pressure-sensitive adhesive 118. The stencil generally designated 117 includes the waxy layer 120 on the side thereof confronting the adhesive 118. It will be appreciated that in the embodiment seen in FIG. '3 the stencil 117 is adhered to the frame 115 in the area designated 124. The embodiment of FIG. 3 differs from that of FIG. 2 in the carbon layer 122 being provided separately and adhered to the frame 115 in the area 124a.

However, with either embodiment of the invention, the relative thinness of the frame avoids the form catching on guides and the like when feeding through the typewriter, or, even worse, when going through a computer printer. Further, the inventive stencil assembly fits well on curved hand duplicators. It should be appreciated that the stencil is normally used to address only a dozen or more cartons, after which the stencil is discarded. Thus, the common practice is not to bother with clips on the device 25 to insure securement of the stencil assembly to the device. The general practice is to position the stencil on the hand duplicator and depend on the stickiness of the ink to hold the stencil in place. This is achieved efficiently with the stencil assembly of the invention.

I claim:

1. A business form comprising at least one ply having space thereon for receipt of a stencil assembly, a unitary stencil assembly releasably adhered to said ply over said space and completelyremovable therefrom, said assembly including two layers adhesively' secured together, the first of said layers being a flexible stencil layer immediately adjacent said ply and in contact therewith, the second of said layers being a relatively flexible frame layer spaced from said ply in the major portion thereof by said first layer, said second layer having a back face in confronting relation to said ply, said second layer back face being totally covered with a pressure sensitive adhesive to cause the same to adhere to said one ply, said frame layer having a cut-out portion affording access to said stencil layer, said frame layer being generally peripherally coextensive with said stencil but having a portion extending beyond the stencil periphery with said portion being directly adhered to said ply, said relatively flexible frame layer having a thickness of the order of said ply to thereby pass unobtrusively around the platen of a typewriter.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said stencil layer has a carbon coating on the side thereof adjacent said ply.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which a carbon transfer layer is interposed between said stencil layer and said ply.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said stencil assembly is generally rectangular, said frame layer extending beyond said stencil layer on three sides thereof to secure said assembly to said ply whereby said stencil assembly, after removal by gripping the fourth side,

being useable with a stenciling device.

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1. A business form comprising at least one ply having space thereon for receipt of a stencil assembly, a unitary stencil assembly releasably adhered to said ply over said space and completely removable therefrom, said assembly including two layers adhesively secured together, the first of said layers being a flexible stencil layer immediately adjacent said ply and in contact therewith, the second of said layers being a relatively fiexible frame layer spaced from said ply in the major portion thereof by said first layer, said second layer having a back face in confronting relation to said ply, said second layer back face being totally covered with a pressure sensitive adhesive to cause the same to adhere to said one ply, said frame layer having a cut-out portion affording access to said stencil layer, said frame layer being generally peripherally coextensive with said stencil but having a portion extending beyond the stencil periphery with said portion being directly adhered to said ply, said relatively flexible frame layer having a thickness of the order of said ply to thereby pass unobtrusively around the platen of a typewriter.
 2. The structure of claim 1 in which said stencil layer has a carbon coating on the side thereof adjacent said ply.
 3. The structure of claim 1 in which a carbon transfer layer is interposed between said stencil layer and said ply.
 4. The structure of claim 1 in which said stencil assembly is generally rectangular, said frame layer extending beyond said stencil layer on three sides thereof to secure said assembly to said ply whereby said stencil assembly, after removal by gripping the fourth side, being useable with a stenciling device. 